Standardizing Educational Opportunities on the Complete Pediatric Physical Exam

Completed

• Conditions: Pediatric Physical Exam

• Registration Number: NCT00711659
• Lead Sponsor: Medical College of Wisconsin

Brief Summary

The study proposes that a workshop-based educational experience which utilizes a standardized preceptor training session, a standard skills assessment checklist, and videotaped feedback will improve student comfort and confidence in performing the pediatric physical examination and will provide information to improve the curriculum offerings.

Detailed Description

The baseline clinical experience of third year medical students rotating through the clerkship varies, depending on previous clerkships and volunteer opportunities previously encountered. The less experienced third year medical student may require more time and feedback to develop competency. The availability and experience of clinical preceptors and background of the patient may also play a role in the development of pediatric physical examination skills. Other institutions have offered standardized approaches to teaching the health maintenance physical exam. To address these issues, we propose a workshop-based educational experience to (1)determine whether offering a workshop that standardizes exposure to physical exams for junior medical students will improve opportunities to practice physical exam skills in a non-threatening environment, (2)promote immediate feedback to the student that allows for self-reflection by viewing a videotape of their performance, (3)delineate how physical exam skills change in junior medical students throughout the year, and (4)evaluate the inter-rater variability of preceptors teaching health maintenance exams to students rotating through the pediatric clerkship.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2007-06
• Study First Submitted: 2008-07-08
• Study First Submitted QC: 2008-07-08
• Study First Posted: 2008-07-09
• Primary Completion: 2013-02
• Study Completion: 2013-02
• Status Verified: 2013-11
• Last Update Submitted: 2013-11-25
• Last Update Posted: 2013-11-27

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 519

Inclusion Criteria

• third year medical students will participate in the physical exam skills workshop as a requirement of their pediatric clerkship; data obtained from review of videotapes of students who consent for data use will be included

Exclusion Criteria

• data from students who do not consent to use of data will not be used for analysis

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
To determine if offering a standardized workshop-based education experience for third year medical students will improve student comfort and confidence in performing the pediatric physical exam and provide information to improve curriculum offerings.	8 weeks (the length of the clerkship rotation)

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Medical College of Wisconsin; 🇺🇸 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States